Institute for Government

Parliament is at the centre of the UK constitution, passing law, representing citizens, and holding the government to account. However, the government’s strong control of the House of Commons, and issues of democratic legitimacy in the House of Lords, have raised questions about whether parliament is an effective check on the executive.  So how well does parliament fulfil its constitutional role?...

Briefing on the final report from the IfG/Bennett Institute team. To mark the conclusion of the Institute for Government/Bennett Institute Review of the UK Constitution, this special one-day event brought together commentators, academics and parliamentarians for a series of keynote speeches and panels to consider all these questions and more.

The Institute for Government welcomed Rt Hon Liz Truss MP to give a keynote speech on the economy. A year since her government’s Growth Plan – the September 2022 ‘mini-budget’ – including a programme of tax cuts and supply side reforms, the former prime minister set out her vision for how the government could enable the UK to achieve faster economic growth. Following her speech Liz Truss was in co...

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. Data Bites aims to change that. This event was the 45th in our series, where the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the...

The Darlington Economic Campus is rapidly establishing itself as the civil service’s flagship office outside of London – and has been described by chancellor Jeremy Hunt as moving “decision makers and advisers closer to the communities we serve.”  So how has the Darlington Economic Campus changed the way policy is made? What difference has it made to the local area and is it contributing to the le...

The government’s plans for capital projects have repeatedly shifted over the last decade. Capital budgets have been cut, then boosted, and now retrenchment is planned again. And major capital projects, such as HS2, have been subject to revisions in budget and scope. The five-year national infrastructure delivery plan and the national infrastructure and construction pipeline only apply to some proj...

There has been no shortage of central government attempts to support regional development over past decades, but these have been insufficient to close the widening gaps in geographical disparities, with efforts lacking scale, coordination, data and effective oversight, and policies ultimately proving short lived. So what can be done to fix the problem? The Levelling Up White Paper proposed several...

How to restore trust in politics by strengthening standards in public life has been in the spotlight in recent years. The Labour Party has proposed a new, independent Ethics and Integrity Commission to “stamp out corruption in government, strengthen the rules and ensure they are enforced.” But how would that commission work in practice? If Labour forms the next government, what powers would the co...

Impartiality is a defining feature of the UK’s civil service – and one if its ‘core values’ – but the future of civil service impartiality is in the spotlight. Brexit, and the strained relationship between ministers and civil servants that characterised the Johnson and Truss governments, have seen ministers accuse officials of obstructing their agendas, with Dominic Raab attacking “increasingly ac...

Better use of data is key to more effective government. Across government, teams are doing fascinating work with data. But those projects don’t get the attention they deserve. Data Bites aims to change that. This event was the 44th in our series, where the speakers presented their work in an exciting, quickfire format. Each speaker had eight minutes, followed by eight minutes of questions from the...

The rule of law is a fundamental principle of a constitutional democracy – but in recent years it has been the subject of much debate. What role should the rule of law play? What is the government’s commitment to the rule of law? And what part should public law play in solving political disputes? As Attorney General, Victoria Prentis KC MP acts at the intersection of politics and the law. She is C...

Devolution deals have transferred control of various budgets and functions – including over transport, skills, housing and planning – from central government to metro mayors and combined authorities in many parts of England. The devolution process is continuing. Five new mayors are due to be elected in 2024 – in the East Midlands, North East, York and North Yorkshire, Suffolk and Norfolk – and add...

Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emis...

At this session, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Net Zero, joined Emma Norris, IfG Deputy Director, to discuss how a Labour government would do net zero differently. This event was part of the IfG's Net Zero Conference. Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambiti...

Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net zero agenda will be a major issue at the next general election. So what needs to be done to switch the UK from being an economy powered by carbon to one that is near emis...

The Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP joined Dr Hannah White, IfG Director, to discuss his Independent Review of Net Zero. This event was part of the IfG's Net Zero Conference. Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governments across the world. With both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer pledging to hit ambitious emissions targets and make the UK a clean energy ‘superpower’, the net ze...

Over many years Sajid Javid held some of the most senior roles in British government, serving as a secretary of state in six different departments under three different prime ministers – including as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary. Javid, who will stand down from parliament at the next election, is now a commissioner on the Institute for Government’s Centre Commission. At this ‘in...

Improving economic performance outside London and the South East is a core aim of the government’s levelling up agenda. Drawing on past IfG research, this event explored what policies, and policy approaches, would best support economic performance outside London and the South East and compare these with the government’s current policies. Our panel discussed: What policies would be most effective t...

Northern Ireland has had no ministers since October. The DUP is refusing to re-enter into power-sharing arrangements in protest over the Northern Ireland protocol; despite the new Windsor Framework agreement, the party has still not returned to Stormont. The Secretary of State has had to set a budget for Northern Ireland, and civil servants are obliged to make difficult decisions to balance the bo...

With the government taking the Covid inquiry to court to protect WhatsApp messages, the use of WhatsApp is in the spotlight. It has become fundamental to the way Westminster and Whitehall works – but is this way of communicating good for government? It has been reported that key decisions during the pandemic were taken in WhatsApp groups – made up of the prime minister and a handful of advisers. W...

The Institute for Government was delighted to welcome Sir Jon Thompson, Chief Executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence and HMRC. Sir Jon has led the FRC – which oversees audit and corporate governance reform of the UK's largest companies – through a period of major transformation, and last year the FRC issued record fines, includi...

Special advisers ("SpAds") play a hugely important role in government, and successful ones are key to helping a minister achieve his or her priorities. The number of SpAds has more than doubled since 2010, but the job is not well understood by the public – or, in some cases, by special advisers themselves. So what do SpAds do on a day-to-day basis? How do they interact with ministers and the civil...

Westminster’s relationship with the UK’s nations and regions has changed radically over the last 25 years. Powers have been devolved, and new institutions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been created. But does the UK’s constitution still work for these new arrangements or is reform needed? In Scotland, the question of independence looms large. In Northern Ireland, the future...

The government’s Levelling Up the United Kingdom white paper contained ambitious proposals to deliver a devolution deal to every area of England that wants one by 2030, but the proliferation of regional authorities and directly elected mayors across England alongside different arrangements in the devolved nations can make co-operation and co-ordination difficult. This event considered what structu...

In recent years, government has had to contend with multiple crises, from the Covid pandemic to major increases in energy costs. Ministers and civil servants have often had to work in crisis mode – making major policy decisions at speed, rapidly deploying staff, and developing new systems. But the potential for further crises looms large, especially given continued international instability. And g...